Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Education... It's up to you

I would rather hire someone who knows how to do something, over someone who just has the degree...

Well, not always. Like a doctor...

But don't let the lack of funds to go to school to keep you stupid...

From Jim's Marketing Blog:

The secret to learning everything you need in order to succeed

Posted: 16 Jan 2011 04:57 AM PST

Have you ever heard of the inoculation theory of education?

This is where people go through school or college, get a diploma, degree or whatever, and then use that to inoculate themselves from having to do any more studying. I member the late, great Earl Nightingale recounting a conversation he had with a young man, who had recently graduated. He told Earl he would never read another non-fiction book again. He was done with learning and wanted to start working.

The challenge with that extremely common approach was highlighted by Jim Rohn. Jim used to tell us:

A formal education can make you a living, but a self-education can make you a fortune.

Life-long learning

I was a very poor student at school, but committed at the age of 21 to dedicate myself to life-long learning. I determined to read the books, attend the courses and do whatever was required, for me to be the best that I could be. Almost 25 years later, I am still a ferocious reader and am more committed to learning than ever. I can tell you with total certainty that my decision to embrace life-long learning, is directly responsible for every success I have achieved.

In my experience, learning, true learning, means more than just blindly accepting everything you read or hear from an expert. It means gathering information from the best sources you can find, and questioning what they say! Those you see online, accepting and agreeing like drones with everything their gurus tell them, are learning nothing. They are simply gathering information, of often dubious value, from people who are just as fallible as you or I, and treating it as fact.

I see the process like this:

  • Read the books
  • Attend the courses
  • Listen to the audio programs
  • Put what you have discovered to the test
  • Measure your results and keep what works
  • Repeat

What is your approach to learning? Do you set time aside to read? Do you challenge what you learn? I would love to know your thoughts on this!

Photo: WalknBoston

2 comments:

  1. I really like your approach to life-long learning. I did just enough to get by in school but really have focused myself to ask tons a questions and immerse myself with information from the internet, books and magazines to learn as much about leading, living a fulfilling life and my trade.

    Nick Dancer
    Cozy with Concrete

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your comment Nick.

    In reality we continue to learn all of our lives.

    What we can control is what we are learning by the sources of the information we expose ourselves to.

    Sounds like you are on the right track.

    ReplyDelete